sutomcat
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Welcome to Pi (π) Day!
Pi Day celebrates the pi symbol (π) and its importance to mathematics. The symbol is a Greek letter, and it is used in mathematics to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. The first digits of this ratio are 3.14159, and the number continues infinitely without pattern. It has been calculated to over one trillion digits after the decimal point. Most calculations only need the first few digits. Even the spherical volume of the whole universe can be calculated by using just 39 digits after the decimal point. The symbol "π" was first used in 1706 by William Jones. It gained in popularity after being used by Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737. The first large and official celebration of the day took place at the San Francisco Exploratorium in 1988. It was organized by Larry Shaw, a physicist at the Exploratorium. At the inaugural event, people marched around a circular space and ate fruit pies. In 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution supporting Pi Day.
SU News
https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/recruiting/codie-hornsby-discusses-syracuse-commitment (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football landed a big commitment Wednesday night in coveted Grambling offensive lineman transfer Codie Hornsby. He is the cousin of Syracuse class of 2024 signee Jaylan Hornsby.
"One big thing is I really like how coach Fran is doing everything," Hornsby said. "That's one. I know he has a lot of things he wants to get done and I feel like I'll be there for it. Syracuse has always been my dream school. Somewhere I really wanted to go to. For me, since I didn't start playing football until I was a senior in high school, I really didn't have those opportunities to get myself looked at. About a week ago I got a follow from Jeff Nixon (offensive coordinator) and it went from there. From there, it was like 'if coach Nixon and coach Brown offer me, I know what I'm going to do.' It was one f those decisions that I already knew was going to happen."
Hornsby is from Texas and played his high school ball at Skyline High. So how does someone from Texas have Syracuse as his dream school?
"I was a die hard Carmelo Anthony fan," Hornsby said. "Growing up, I was a die hard Carmelo Anthony fan. Anytime NCAA basketball game came out, I always did a dynasty with the Syracuse Orange. It always stuck. I've just been a big Carmelo fan and it influenced my whole life. Just gravitated me towards Syracuse my whole life."
After he decided he was ready to join the Orange, the next step was informing the coaches.
"They were excited," Hornsby said. "I initially told coach Brown and immediately he told the entire staff. Immediately I was getting calls from the all of the coaches on the staff. They were really excited to start this journey."
There were reports that Hornsby had offers from more than 30 schools including many of the power conference programs. Hornsby said that reporting was legitimate, but he always knew Syracuse was where he wanted to be.
"I had a lot of interest from those schools and I had a lot of offers," Hornsby said. "A lot of the schools were interested but their roster was completely full and they wouldn't be able to offer me until after the spring when they make spring cuts. It was a lot of coaches staying in contact with me every single day because they didn't want me to go anywhere else. They wanted me to wait. Me, I feel like my opportunity was best with this one (Syracuse)."
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse...transfer-ol-codie-hornsby-commits-to-syracuse (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football has landed a commitment from Grambling transfer offensive lineman Codie Hornsby. The 6-3, 315 pounder is expected to play along the interior of the offensive line at Syracuse and has two years of eligibility remaining. In addition to Syracuse, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Georgia, Oregon, Georgia Tech, NC State, Washington and Boston College reportedly expressed interest.
Hornsby entered the portal at the end of February.
"First off, I would like to give all Glory to God," Hornsby said in a post on social media regarding his decision to transfer. "Without him nothing is possible. I would like to thank Grambling State University and the coaching staff for the chance to play football at the Division 1 level and the opportunity to earn a degree. After extensive communication with all who are in support of me, I have made the rigorous decision to transfer. I will be entering the transfer portal as a grad transfer with two years of eligibility left. I look forward to seeing what lies ahead in my athletic and academic future."
Hornsby posted on X (formerly Twitter) on March 6th that he had a Zoom meeting with the offensive coaching staff at Syracuse and he looked forward to building a great relationship with them. One week later, he committed to the Orange.
Syracuse has looked for portal help throughout the offseason. Hornsby is the latest result of those efforts, along with transfers Joshua Miller (Georgia) and Da'Metrius Weatherspoon (Howard).
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(youtube; podcast; ESPN)
Rece Davis and Pete Thamel share their shock for the news that Nebraska's AD and alum Trev Alberts is expected to agree to a five-year deal with Texas A&M, then expand on Alberts' lengthy history with the Cornhuskers and why they think money may not be the primary deciding factor in this potential move. Then they sit down with Syracuse head coach Fran Brown to discuss the text that got him his job, the obstacle he faces while on the job, and how he plans to dominate recruiting in New York, New Jersey, and beyond.
Syracuse Football: RB/athlete, who scored 8 TDs in a game, will visit ‘Cuse twice (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse football coaches appear to be making talented running back/athlete Bo MacCormack a priority target in the 2025 class.
The 6-foot, 190-pound MacCormack, who had a ridiculous junior season for his high school team in Massachusetts, received a scholarship offer from the Orange on February 8 of this year, he said via his X page.
Now MacCormack has set two upcoming visits to the Orange, which is led by head coach and ace recruiter Fran Brown, according to a media report.
Per his X page and recruiting services, MacCormack has picked up around a dozen scholarship offers from a range of high-major programs.
Syracuse football is recruiting 2025 RB/athlete Bo MacCormack hard.
MacCormack is a standout at the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, Mass. Per an article from SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister, in the most recent 2023 season, MacCormack tallied 2,150 all-purpose yards and 31 touchdowns.MacCormack, who can also play receiver and defensive back, added 52 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble, per a post on X from Alex Agrella, the owner of the Recruiting Board.
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Jamie Tremble Is Being SLEPT On | 4
️ Syracuse Tight End Recruit - Highlights (youtube; podcast; Matson)Jamie Tremble Is Being SLEPT On | 4
️ Syracuse Tight End Recruit - HighlightsWhat makes #SyracuseU special? #college #syracuseuniversity #shortsvideo (youtube; video; SU)
What makes #SyracuseU special? #college #syracuseuniversity #shortsvideo
ACC News
Burning spring football questions for every ACC team (247sports.com; Hummer)
After perhaps the most hectic coaching cycle and transfer portal window ever, spring practice is starting up across the country. With 15-practice spring slates getting underway nationally, 247Sports is spending the week looking at some of the burning questions across the Power Four — that still feels weird to write.
From quarterback competitions to coordinator changes to concerns along the line of scrimmage, here's what every ACC team is focusing on entering spring ball and for the rest of the offseason.
BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES: HOW WILL BILL O'BRIEN USE THOMAS CASTELLANOS?
There are several questions that Boston College will have to answer following Jeff Hafley's sudden departure for the NFL and O'Brien's hire as head coach. The Eagles have some defensive work to do in the portal, and it'll be interesting to see how the roster responds to O'Brien ahead of the spring portal window. But the most fascinating thing about the O'Brien hire might be the marriage of QB and head coach.
Castellanos is a dynamic run threat who sparked the Eagles last year while rushing for 1,113 yards. He also was a little erratic as a passer, a risk taker who threw for 15 TDs against 14 INTs. With the right offensive vision, Castellanos can be a program building block, a potential talent equalizer for BC.
But O'Brien has never had a quarterback like this in his career as a head coach or play-caller.
Sure, Bryce Young moved well in the pocket at Alabama and Deshaun Watson certainly provided a rushing element with the Texans. But O'Brien's never had a QB run 100 times in a season and has only once seen one cross the 500-yard rushing barrier. Castellanos ran 10-plus times in all but one game last year.
O'Brien would be silly to remove what Castellanos does best from the BC offense. But it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to that type of QB. His willingness to do so and creativity will determine BC's ceiling.
CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS: CAN THE OFFENSE CONTINUE ITS GROWTH AFTER MAJOR CHANGES?
Most questions for Cal this offseason surround the offense. The Bears transitioned offensively last year, hiring Jake Spavital as OC to run an Air Raid-style system. It worked, for the most part, especially once redshirt freshman Fernando Mendoza took over as QB1; the Bears averaged 36.2 points in regular-season games that he played.
But there have been changes this offseason: Spavital took the OC job at Baylor, leading to a promotion for offensive line coach Mike Bloesch to offensive coordinator. The team's WR1, Jeremiah Hunter (703 yards, 7 TDs) transferred to Washington.
And in a potential shakeup atop the QB depth chart, Cal dipped into the portal and added UNT starting quarterback Chandler Rogers, one of the G5's top QBs in 2023. Rogers, formerly of Louisiana-Monroe, strongly considered Cal last offseason in the portal before picking UNT. Now, he'll battle Mendoza this spring as Cal transitions to the ACC.
The Mendoza-Rogers competition will be front and center. Rogers is the more experienced passer and put the ball in danger far less a year ago; 2.1% of his throws were turnover worthy, according to Pro Football Focus, compared to 5% for Mendoza. But Mendoza is more experienced in the system and could easily make a leap in Year 2.
Replacing Hunter will be difficult, but there are capable bodies on the roster. Trond Grizzell had a breakout redshirt-sophomore campaign in 2023, catching 35 passes for 510 yards. He could step up. So, too, could four-star Notre Dame transfer Tobias Merriweather.
Either way, someone needs to emerge as a go-to threat.
CLEMSON TIGERS: CAN THE O-LINE, RECEIVERS TAKE A LEAP?
Clemson's first season with offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and starting quarterback Cade Klubnik resulted in an offense that finished a woeful 98th nationally in yards per play. That lack of production wasted a championship-caliber defense. Thus, the offense is in the spotlight this spring. Clemson will expect Klubnik to take a step in Year 2 as a starter.
You also figure the Tigers are fine at RB without Will Shipley given that Phil Mafah returns. But the O-line and wide receiver room? Those are very much in question.
Clemson's offensive line struggled last year, ranking 74th in PFF's pass-blocking metric and 91st on the run-blocking side of things. As always, Clemson opted not to dip into the transfer portal and upgrade the room.
But new offensive line coach Matt Luke — the former head coach at Ole Miss — does have seven linemen to work with who have previous starting experience. It'll be up to Luke to mix and match and find the right combination.
There is reason to believe that the wide receiver room could make a leap. Tyler Brown flashed as a true freshman last season (52 catches, 531 yards), and the return of a healthy Antonio Williams will be a boon.
There are also two intriguing true freshmen to track in TJ Moore (No. 21 overall in the 2024 class) and Bryant Wesco (No. 57 overall). Moore especially seems like a potential immediate contributor.
If either one of those top recruits can emerge as an immediate difference maker, they'd give Clemson a big exterior threat that the offense has lacked in recent years.
DUKE BLUE DEVILS: IS THERE ENOUGH ALONG THE OFFENSIVE LINE?
Duke's offensive line is in rough shape entering the spring. After starting center Scott Elliott's transfer out, the Blue Devils return just three players (Brian Parker, Justin Pickett and Matt Craycraft) who contributed last season and with only a combined 14 starts between them.
Due due to a combination of exits, injuries and enrollment dates, the Blue Devils are only really working with five or six scholarship offensive linemen this spring. They're very thin, and it doesn't give Manny Diaz and his new staff much of an opportunity to mix and match.
There is some reason for optimism. The Blue Devils have signed six transfer offensive linemen so far, and there's an expectation that they'll go after several more in the spring window.
But with Diaz getting in so late and with Duke's academic calendar, it's really impaired the program's ability to experiment up front this spring.
FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES: HOW FAST DO THE RECEIVERS COME ALONG?
There are questions across Florida State's roster after losing a big chunk of a 13-0 team to the NFL Draft and graduation. Some holes are easier to fill than others.
DJ Uiagalelei is the obvious replacement for Jordan Travis. Roydell Williams is in for departed running back Trey Benson. You can even point toward those like Marvin Jones or Sione Lolohea as likely replacements for Jared Verse.
But wide receiver is less certain with the Seminoles losing both Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson to the NFL. Those were massive exterior targets, both of whom project as early-round draft picks.
The good news for Florida State is that there are potential replacements on the roster. Senior receiver Kentron Poitier (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) showed some real flashes in 2022 (14 catches, 283 yards, 20.2 ypc) but had injuries hamper him for much of last year. Spring will be an opportunity for him to flash difference-making potential on the outside.
There's also 2023 five-star recruit Hykeem Williams. He's got massive upside and could blossom as a deep threat, especially given Uiagalelei's propensity to throw bombs.
Florida State also added Alabama transfer Malik Benson in the portal. He's an athletic freakshow who snatched a lot of headlines last spring in Tuscaloosa. He'll have a more open pathway to playing time in Tallahassee and could emerge a playmaker.
How that trio develops in the spring will go a long way in determining the ceiling of FSU's offense.
GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS: HOW'S THE RUN DEFENSE LOOKING?
There were a lot of good things about Georgia Tech football last year in Brent Key's official debut. Run defense was not one of them.
The Yellowjackets were the worst rushing defense in the Power Five, ranking 130th nationally while allowing 5.38 yards per attempt. Fixing that issue is priority No. 1 for new Yellow Jackets defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci.
Georgia Tech allowed 2.75 yards before contact on opposing rushing attempts last spring, which ranked 128th nationally. That means the Yellow Jackets weren't getting an interior push and struggled with run fits.
Thus, Georgia Tech will need a lot from transfers like defensive tackle Ayo Tifase (Florida State) and linebacker EJ Lightsey (Georgia). They'll also need players like Zeek Biggers, Horace Lockett and maybe even a young talent like Shymeik Jones to step up along the defensive interior.
The defense overall has a chance to be decent if the middle of the unit can take even a small step.
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS: HOW DOES THE QB ROOM SHAKE OUT?
Yeah, talking QBs is the easy way out with Louisville. But I'd argue that there's no bigger question mark on the roster than quarterback.
The Cardinals have the pieces to make another ACC run thanks to a strong transfer portal haul, but the question of Tyler Shough's health is going to loom over the 2024 season. It's easy to understand why the Cardinals took a chance on Shough. The talent is obvious. But he hasn't played more than seven games in a season since 2020, despite being his team's starter every year of that stretch. Shough wasn't even fully healthy when Jeff Brohm talked about him in February.
Thus, Shough's health is in the spotlight this spring. So, too, will be his potential backups.
Two young signal-callers figure to compete for that role with Brady Allen (a four-star in the 2022 class) and Pierce Clarkson (a four-star in the 2023 class) pushing to be QB2. How their battle shakes out this spring could have a significant impact on the 2024 season.
MIAMI HURRICANES: IS THERE ENOUGH DEPTH IN THE SECONDARY?
Miami lost arguably the best safety pairing in college football (James Williams, Kamren Kinchens) while also seeing starting cornerbacks Jaden Davis and Te'Cory Couch depart, a blow for a pass defense that held opposing passers to the 33rd-lowest passer rating in the FBS.
That means, other than senior Daryl Porter Jr., who had a breakout campaign in 2023, and Washington transfer Mishael Powell, there is very little in the way of starting experience on the roster.
You figure that rising sophomore Damari Brown, who earned four starts down the stretch, will build on a strong true-freshman campaign and emerge as a starter opposite Porter. But the other two spots are very much up for grabs.
The Hurricanes added a pair of safety transfers in Savion Riley (Vanderbilt), who played well last season as a redshirt freshman, and Isaiah Taylor (Arizona), who is Hurricanes D-line coach Jason Taylor's son. Those like Jadais Richard, who played 187 snaps last year in his Hurricanes debut, and Jaden Harris, who played 130 snaps as a redshirt freshman, could push for more playing time, too.
There's also true freshman Zaquan Patterson to consider. The nation's No. 63 overall player is someone who those around the Hurricanes program believe could make an immediate impact.
How that room shakes out will likely determine if the Hurricanes are forced to dip into the portal for help during the post-spring window.
NC STATE WOLFPACK: WHO STEPS UP AT RECEIVER?
The Wolfpack have had issues generating a consistent run game in recent years. But that feels like it's trending up with the addition of Duke transfer Jordan Waters and four offensive line starters slated to return. Thus, let's turn the attention toward a NC State passing attack that ranked 92nd nationally last season in passer rating.
The addition of Coastal Carolina transfer quarterback Grayson McCall will be a certain upgrade. But NC State's receiving corps needs to improve, too. True Freshman All-American Kevin Concepcion is an established No. 1 option. But everything else behind him is up for grabs.
There are reasons for optimism. The Wolfpack added Ohio State transfer wide receiver Noah Rogers, the No. 40 overall recruit in the 2023 class, and Wake Forest wide receiver transfer Wesley Grimes (329 yards, 4 TDs in 2023).
They, along with UConn tight end transfer Justin Joly (578 yards, 2 TDs in 2023), instantly add experience and a higher ceiling to the room. There's also the possibility a true freshman like Terrell Anderson (No. 92 overall in the 2024 class) emerges as a Year 1 difference maker.
NC State was totally Concepcion reliant last year with him sucking up more than double the targets (105) of the next-closest receiver (51). Another difference maker, or three, emerging in the spring would be huge.
NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS: HOW DOES THE OFFENSIVE LINE COME TOGETHER?
There are several questions about UNC's 2024 defense with Geoff Collins arriving on campus as defensive coordinator. But I'd argue that the status of the O-line is as big, if not bigger, question.
Not only will the O-line's reset impact Max Johnson — the likely successor to Drake Maye — but it'll also have a major effect on the run game, with Omarion Hampton (1,504 yards, 15 TDs in 2023) expected to be the focal point of the offense next year.
With starting left tackle Diego Pounds transferring to Ole Miss, the Tar Heels return just a single 2023 starter (Willie Lampkin). UNC attempted to offset those departures in the transfer portal, adding a quartet of transfers during the winter window. But those additions come with question marks.
The only player from that group with extended starting experience is D-III transfer Zach Greenberg. There's potential there — and he had several FBS offers — but that's a big jump to make, to the ACC.
There's also a lot to like about someone like North Texas transfer Howard Sampson or Georgia Tech's Jakiah Leftwich, but they have made only a combined eight starts in their career. At least two of those transfer additions need to hit.
It'd help UNC if 2023 rotation pieces like Jonathan Adorno and Malik McGowan or young players like former five-star Zach Rice or redshirt sophomore Trevyon Green manage to emerge.
PITTSBURGH PANTHERS: HOW QUICKLY CAN THE OFFENSE TRANSITION?
Pittsburgh's offense is going to look considerably different in 2024 with Kade Bell as its play-caller. Bell led the nation's most productive FCS offense a season ago at Western Carolina, a unit that ranked first nationally in yards per game.
Part of that success was due to pace as the Catamounts averaged 2.45 plays per minute. That would have been one of the 20 fastest offenses in the FBS this season. Pittsburgh, for its part, ranked in the bottom half.
That's not the only change. Outside of the 2021 season under Kenny Pickett, the Panthers have almost always been a run-first offense under Pat Narduzzi.
Bell's offenses tend to favor the pass. The Catamounts had a 53% pass split in 2023, a 50% split in 2022 and 56% during Bell's debut season as their OC in 2021.
Pittsburgh is going to be faster, and it's going to be less conservative on offense. It'll be a big change to monitor this spring, especially with a potential QB battle brewing between Christian Veilleux and Nate Yarnell brewing.
SMU MUSTANGS: ARE THEY P4 READY IN THE TRENCHES?
SMU is better prepared for a G5-P4 jump than most. The Mustangs are coming off an AAC championship, return a good chunk of their 2023 production (66th nationally) and have recruited in the portal at an elite level for a few seasons now. But there remains a question of whether SMU has enough depth in the trenches to survive in the ACC.
That question mark got even bigger over the last month with SMU somewhat surprisingly losing a pair of starting offensive linemen and All-AAC selections (center Branson Hickman, LT Marcus Bryant) to the portal. The Mustangs did bring in some talent — like former Oklahoma Sooners Savion Byrd and Nate Anderson, along with Miami's Jakai Clark — that help soften those departures. But the loss of Hickman and Bryant turned what was looked at as a strength of the team into a question mark.
Defensive tackle, meanwhile, is also a potential concern. The Mustangs are going to miss 2023 starters Elijah Chatman and Jordan Miller. They'll need 2023 backup Kori Roberson along with transfers like Mike Lockhart (Georgia Tech) and Anthony Booker (Arkansas) to emerge for a unit that likes to rotate.
You need depth in the trenches to survive in the ACC, spring will tell us a lot about whether the Mustangs have it.
STANFORD CARDINAL: WHO'S QB1?
Perhaps the most appealing part of Stanford's hire of Troy Taylor last offseason was his offensive acumen. Taylor took over a moribund Sacramento State program and, in four years, turned it into a national contender thanks to dynamic and varied offensive play. But we didn't see that in Year 1 with the Cardinal as they ranked 110th nationally in yards per play.
The biggest culprit: Quarterback struggles. Yes, the personnel across the offense proved lacking. But the quarterback room was an issue with Cardinal passers combining to complete 54.8% of their passes with 11 TDs against 8 INTs.
Thus, Stanford enters the spring with some questions at QB despite some encouraging flashes from rising junior Ashton Daniels. Normally you'd like mark Daniels down as QB1 and move on, banking on his improvement for any bullish Cardinal projections.
But Stanford landed four-star QB Elijah Brown in the 2024 class, and he might be uniquely qualified to push for starting time this spring. Brown, the No. 192 overall player in the country, emerged as a true-freshman starter for Golden State powerhouse Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei. He then led the Monarchs to multiple state championships as an unusually polished high school QB.
Brown is exactly the type of passer who could come enroll early and make a splash. We'll see if he’s able to push Daniels this spring as Stanford looks for a spark.
SYRACUSE ORANGE: AFTER A BIG OFFSEASON, WHAT WILL FRAN BROWN'S TEAM LOOK LIKE ON THE FIELD?
Syracuse should be a fascinating follow this spring and season because there are a ton of questions about the Fran Brown experience. The early returns, particularly in the portal, are excellent.
But this spring will give us our first real idea of what Syracuse will look from a scheme perspective. Brown has never been a head coach. His offensive coordinator, Jeff Nixon, has never been a full-time play-caller. Same with his defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson. All are well respected in the coaching industry, but this spring should tell us a lot about what sort of offense and defense the Orange will run.
You figure Syracuse will throw quite a bit more in 2024 with Kyle McCord as QB1 — they ran 63% of the time last season. In terms of everything else? Spring should answer many of those questions.
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Matt Brown: Is the 5+9 Playoff Model Good For the Big 12 & ACC? | CFB (youtube; podcast; 365 Sports)
Matt Brown, Extra Points joins 365 Sports to discuss his thoughts on the Big 12 & ACC approving the 5+9 model, his thoughts on if this format is good for the Big 12 and ACC, what is better for college athletics, revenue sharing or employment, his thoughts on from the playoff round table, and more.
CFP14 Revenue Distribution Update 2024 Mar 14 (RX; HM)
CFP14 Revenue Distribution Update 2024 Mar 14
Breaking news last night, from Dennis Dodd:
GTFletch thinks he has it figured out:
In other words, the revenue gap just grew another $10M per school overnight.
__________
From Ross Dellenger's article College Football Playoff leaders close to finalizing agreement for future,
"Most resistant" - no kidding? You want the ACC to agree to $10M/school less than the SEC, and you're surprised they don't think that's fair?
I do understand that there is a basis for this...
So because they produce the most playoff teams, they should also get the most money? That doesn't make nearly as much sense as some people think it does. If you worked at McDonald's in a small town and they told you the Big City employees are going to get twice as much bonus money as you because they have more customers - but they already get paid more than you per hour - at some point it stops being fair at all.
Rumor has it that Big XII Commissioner Brett Yormark wanted this provision:
If you think you're going to benefit from this, Brett, you've got another thing coming to you!
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ACC, Big 12 on-board with new College Football Playoff format, report says (al.com; Stephenson)
The ACC and Big 12 have voted to approve a new College Football Playoff format, putting them in line with the SEC and Big Ten, according to a report Wednesday by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.
Though initially resistant, the school presidents in the ACC and Big 12 have now authorized their commissioners to work out a revenue model for the playoff, which expands to 12 in 2024 and could expand further to 14 in 2026. The CFP Management Committee — made of up commissioners of the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick (soon to be replaced by Peter Bevacqua) — will meet in the next few days to finalize (or not finalize) the new playoff framework.
The Power 5 conferences (including the now diminished Pac-12) evenly split 80% of $460 million in revenue in the playoff deal that expires after the 2025 season, with the other 20% split among the Group of 5. In the new contract with ESPN beginning in 2026, the SEC and Big Ten would split 58% of $1.3 billion, the ACC and Big 12 would split 32% and Notre Dame and the Group of 5 would get the other 10%.
A number of playoff formats have been discussed, including the SEC and Big Ten receiving up to three bids in a 14-team playoff and automatic first-round byes. Another format would grant two automatic bids to the SEC and Big Ten, one each to the ACC and Big 12 and one to the Group of 5.
Links, News and Rumors 2024 Mar 13 (RX; HM)
Links, News and Rumors 2024 Mar 13
From AP: College football’s early signing period moves up 3 weeks to before conference championship games, here are some highlights
Here's an idea how the new schedule might look:
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https://www.si.com/college/georgiat...est-quarterbacks-in-college-football-for-2024 (SI; Caudell)
After a great 2023 season, Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King feels like he is flying a bit under the radar heading into the 2024 season.
King had one of the best single seasons in Georgia Tech history in 2023 and 247Sports Analyst Brad Crawford thinks King is one of the 25 best quarterbacks coming back to College Football next season, ranking him No. 23. There were four ACC quarterbacks ranked ahead of King: Miami QB Cam Ward (No.9), Florida State quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei (No. 19), SMU's Preston Stone (No. 20) and NC State quarterback Grayson McCall (No. 18).
Here is what Crawford had to say about King:
"The former Texas A&M signal caller came into his own last season at Georgia Tech with a standout season and now, has the Yellow Jackets thinking dark horse ACC title bid ahead of 2024. The former four-star is beginning to show some of the traits that made him such a coveted prospect as a top signal caller coming out of Longview, Texas several years ago."
King is one of only two players in the nation with at least 2,700 passing yards, 600 rushing yards, 25 touchdown passes, and five touchdown runs this season (joining LSU’s Jayden Daniels), and one of only six ACC players to achieve those numbers in a regular season since 2000. He led the ACC in touchdown passes and was fourth in passing yards.
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Report: Michigan Poaches Key Football Assistant Coach From Archrival Ohio State (localsyr.com; Lyons)
Michigan-Ohio State remains one of college football’s most heated rivalries.
It isn’t every day that you see someone make the jump directly from the Buckeyes to the Wolverines, but new Michigan coach Sherrone Moore reportedly dipped into Ryan Day’s staff to fill an assistant opening and is expected to hire away running backs coach Tony Alford, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports. FootballScoop first reported that Alford was Michigan’s target for the job.
Alford has been a mainstay of the Ohio State coaching staff, serving as assistant head coach and running backs coach since 2015, two years before Ryan Day joined the staff under Urban Meyer. He’s coached a number of standout backs with the Buckeyes, including Ezekiel Elliott, J.K. Dobbins, Trey Sermon and most recently, TreVeyon Henderson.
Alford will replace Mike Hart, a former star running back at Michigan, who is not being retained in 2024.
Alford, an Akron, Ohio, native, brings significant experience as running backs coach and as a recruiter in the Midwest. Prior to his job with the Buckeyes, he spent six years on staff at Notre Dame, and has previously coached at Louisville, Iowa State, Washington and Kent State.
The move is a big splash for Moore and echoes a similar one that Day made when he took over for Meyer in 2019. At that time, Day poached a pair of defensive assistants from Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines staff—defensive line coach Greg Mattison (who became co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State) and linebackers coach Al Washington.
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https://www.si.com/college/fsu/foot...to-release-any-knowledge-relating-to-cfp-snub (SI; Bakich)
In the month of December, Florida State fans and college football enthusiasts alike witnessed two monumental moments in the sport: The undefeated, Power Five conference champion Seminoles being left out of the College Football Playoff (CFP) in favor of Texas and Alabama (an SEC school and a future SEC school) and the FSU Board of Trustees suing the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) to challenge the Grant of Rights and leave for good.
Recent developments have tied those two moments together legally.
Since Selection Sunday in early December, cries of collusion between ESPN (a network that has committed significantly more money to the SEC) and the CFP have circulated into a wide-ranging plethora of theories regarding what happened behind the scenes, if anything at all.
For instance, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody sent a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) to the CFP Selection Committee in early January demanding “all communications” to or from the Southeastern Conference (SEC), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and ESPN, and all 10 conferences in FBS football, as well as the compensation of Committee members.
Moody’s office also called for a public release of the Multi-Media Agreement between the ACC and ESPN, the 2014 Amended Multi-Media Agreement, the ACC Grant of Rights Agreement, as well as “any other executed agreements between the ACC and the Walt Disney Company.”
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PART 3: Where will the ACC Schools End UP? Pitt | Louisville | Syracuse | Wake BC GT | Realignment podcast; Saturday's Warrior)
WildUte of the College Football Mafia joins us to discuss the likely new homes for each of the ACC schools' if/when the ACC implodes. In Part 3 of this series, we discuss Pitt, Louisville, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, and Boston College. Will they end up un the B1G, SEC, Big 12, or somewhere else?
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These renderings depict what the main section of the redevelopment of Great Northern Mall would look like when it's complete. The proposal includes mixed-use clusters with residences, shops, restaurants, entertainment and more. QPK Design
Great Northern Mall’s buyer imagines a housing-retail colossus in Micron’s backyard (PS; Doran)
Developers plan to replace the dead Great Northern Mall with a housing and retail behemoth unlike anything ever seen in Central New York, syracuse.com | The Post-Standard has learned.
The vision proposed by local developer Guy Hart and his partners includes as many as 1,700 apartments and condos, six hotels and a new medical hub. It would stretch across more than 200 acres – about two-thirds the size of the Syracuse University campus.
It would put 1.4 million square feet of new retail, office and entertainment space onto one of the county’s key economic crossroads: Routes 31 and 481. That’s twice the space in Syracuse’s iconic AXA Towers.
Hart imagines creating a center where people could live, dine, shop and work. The new complex would also have entertainment venues, a gym and grocery store, and be connected by sidewalks and breezeways.
It would be five miles from Micron Technology’s proposed new computer chipmaking complex in Clay, the job-creation engine predicted to drive a population boom in coming years.
The new apartments would be a dramatic boost for the county’s housing market, now suffering from historic shortages and rising rents that threaten to worsen if Micron’s plants are built.
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A golfer enjoys short sleeves and sunlight at Lyndon Golf Course on record warm day for Fayetteville, NY February 9, 2024 as temperatures touched 60 degrees. The golf course set a new record of attendance with 191 tee times registered. N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.comN. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com
For the third time in a little over two weeks, Central NY busts a high temperature record (PS; Coin)
Syracuse hit 72 degrees today, breaking the March 13 record of 71, set back in 1990.
The normal high is 42 degrees.
This is the third day in a little over two weeks that Syracuse has reached above 70 degrees, setting records each time. On Feb. 27, the high was 71 degrees. Six days later, on March 3, the temperature reached 71 again.
So far, this month is the second-warmest March on record. That follows a record-warm February and the warmest winter ever recorded.
The National Weather Service defines winter as the months of December, January and February.
Meteorologists say climate change and a particularly strong El Nino contributed to the warm, relatively low-snow winter.
The rest of the week will get gradually cooler and wetter. Thursday’s high will be in the low 50s, and rain moves in at night and lasts through the day Friday. After a partly sunny Saturday -- good timing for the Syracuse St. Patrick’s Parade -- rain is expected again Sunday. By early Tuesday, temperatures drop into the upper 20s, with a chance of snow showers.
